“Two men
went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. The Pharisee stood up and
prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men –robbers,
evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I
get.’
But the
tax collector stood at a distance. He
would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have
mercy on me, a sinner.’
I tell
you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.” (Luke 18:10-14).
Have you ever felt shame? Shame
over something you have done, shame over something you’ve thought or shame over
something you have said? Webster’s
Dictionary defines shame as, “a painful emotion caused by
consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety or a condition of
humiliating disgrace or disrepute.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shame).
I have felt this shame, and more than once I might add. I think the worst part about shame is someone
who will never let you forget what you have done, like this Pharisee Jesus mentions in Luke
18. It is not enough you carry the
burden and memory of your shame, but to be reminded of it daily can be
overwhelming.
The sinful woman
in Luke 7 is continually reminded of her shame and sin. Reminded by the religious sect of the day;
reminded by the town in which she dwelt and much like the Woman at the Well,
separated herself from their vicious talk.
The scene for which God has this woman humble herself before his Son,
mentioning her in his bible is as follows, “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus
to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisees house and reclined at the
table. When a woman who had lived a
sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at this Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with
her tears. Then she wiped them with her
hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee
who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man was a prophet,
he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a
sinner.’
Jesus answered
him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’
‘Tell me
teacher,’ he said.
‘Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owned him
five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
Neither had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of
both. Now which of them will love him
more?’
Simon replied, ‘I
suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.’
‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.
Then he turned
toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?
I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet
my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman,
from the time I entered has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she
poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I
tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves
little.’
Then Jesus said
to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’
The other guests
began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the
woman, ‘Your faith as saved you; go in peace.”
This is one of
the most beautiful passages to me in the bible.
Knowing and believing Jesus as the Messiah, he allowed a sinful woman to
kiss, cry and wipe his feet. She humbled
herself before the religious men, did not care what they had to say, just as
Mary of Bethany when she anointed Christ was admonished, Mark writes, “They
rebuked her harshly.” (Mark 14:5).
Pushing past her shame, pushing past her
embarrassment and pride, the sinful woman weeps at her own depravity. The knowledge in which God has opened her
heart for a new beginning; a new season in her life, to leave the old way and
become a new creation in Christ pulled her toward this Pharisee’s house. Christ showed this woman, as he shows us,
unconditional love. The love described
in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is
patient, and love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
I highlight “it keeps no record of wrongs”
because shame will hold the record for you.
This Pharisee would never let this woman forget her sin. This Pharisee would never let her come near
the temple. This Pharisee would despise
and reject this woman, even in thought.
This Pharisee would turn his back on this sinful woman and sadly, this
“Pharisee attitude” is alive and well in the church.
I have felt shame. I have felt the rejection of the church. I have felt the finger pointing, the joking
and laughs at my expense. Shame can hold
you prisoner with the church as its prison guards! I know of those who have
talked about me, whispered untruths and gossiped. The shame of telling a testimony of “worldly”
behaviors, attitudes and actions to a Christian woman who may not have experienced
that type of “sinful” woman is hard. My
telling has been “told” to others without me being present. I have had women turn their backs to me, turn
their faces, walk away if I come into a group, completely ignore me if I am
sitting at a table with them, and deliberately interrupt while I am
speaking. These are all experiences I
had in the church. The “record of
wrongs” was, as the sinful woman, un-forgiven.
Our Lord is not like that. The mistakes you
have made can be repented of, forgiven and washed clean by the Blood of the
Lamb. The memories and past, in which
others seem to reveal in remembering, will haunt you if you allow them to. To be loved by others who are encouraging,
welcoming and believing you are a new creation in Christ, the old has past and
the new has come, is beautiful, but rare.
Contrary to the world which will rehash and remember the past, contrary
to the world and those who choose to NOT forgive, contrary to the world’s
pointing at you and contrary to the world who would disown you for your lack of
good judgment, Christ’s arms are always open to the those who desire unconditional
love.
Open to the in-valids in our society, open to
the broken hearted, open to the ones cast out of groups, open to the ones who
know their depravity and need a Savior, open to the ones so scarred and marred
by the world, only his gently embrace could ever heal those tender wounds. Jesus Christ will never turn you away! Remember, Christ allowed the sinful woman to
wash his feet with her tears. Redemption
is a tender, sweet, pure and beautiful act of worship. Christ allowed her to feel the conviction
coursing through her body, repent and be set free from bondage. Jesus allowed her humbly fall on her knees in
reverential awe, salvation is for all those who humble themselves before them
mighty hand of God. This is NOT a weak
willed woman. This was a woman, who
tired of her sin, who tired of society’s rejection, tired of the shame and
embarrassment, her heart sought true love.
Are you shamed or a-shamed of your sin? Do
others remind you of your past? Do the memories bring a hot embarrassment of
shame when recollection? Is your shame outwardly known for an adulterous
affair, eating disorder, imprisonment, sexual promiscuity, drugs, alcohol,
fraud, gambler, cheater, thief or any other out-wardly crime or sign the
church, your family or friends will NOT let you forget or will not forgive you?
I know who will!
My heart is for the woman coming from the
“world” into the Word. How do these
“worldly” women relate to these nice, sweet Christian women? Christian woman, I
beg you, love this worldly woman. Love
them for taking that step of faith, walking into a church and giving their
heart to Christ. Allow them to open
themselves up, totally transparent, share their testimony and accept them as
Christ does. Encourage them to be this
new creation in Christ. Encourage them
in their bible studies, serving in the church and loving them the way Christ
loves them. Do not turn your back to
them. Do not shun them the way society
does. The shame of conviction is in
their spirit, and the rejection from the church can be a double the
pressure. Humbling themselves to repent
and come to the church, feeling the shame of conviction and the maybe the
rejection of the church can cause may to leave and just be too
overwhelming. Please, love these
women. Open your arms to the sinful
woman, giving her a place of comfort, security and love.
Let
us pray for these women and CONFESS the Word of the Living God;
Father,
I
have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23). Forgive me,
wash me clean and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). I know you have heard my cry for only you could lift
me out of the mud and the mire, setting my feet on a rock, Jesus Christ. You’ve put a new song in my heart, a hymn of
praise to you (Psalm 40:1-3).
I
believe I am a new creation in Christ, the old has passed the new has come (1 Corinthians 5:7). For I sought the
Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to
him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame (Psalm 34:4). Help me to humble myself before you, for only then
will you lift me up (James 4:10).
Teach me your Word, guide me in all Truths, counsel me with love and show me your
ways (Psalm 25).
I
praise you Lord for bringing new believers to eternal life (Romans 10:9). I pray that my own heart is open to their
testimony, never quick to judge or turn away from them (Luke 6:37-38). I pray I can
encourage them in their walk, this journey of being a Christian (Ephesians 5:19-20). My heart’s desire is to understand and guide
them into all Truths. I never want to
gossip or be as the Pharisees, reminding them of their sin continuously. Help
me know when to speak, when to encourage, when to gently rebuke and when to
bring wisdom to their walk (Isaiah 11:2,
2 Timothy 4:2). I want to open my arms with this sincere love of Christ, devoted
to brotherly love, share with those who are in need, practicing hospitality and
keep no record of wrongs (Romans 12:9-13).
In the name of Jesus of Nazareth I pray, Amen.
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